Oh hello!
I'm a tech executive who lives at the intersection of product development, business strategy, and organizational design, and my goal is to build delightful, brand-focused products that create value for my customers and capture value for the business. My product philosophy is anchored in evidenced-based user research and a build-test-learn process that emphasizes fast, iterative improvements to launch products with clear business models built by carefully crafted teams that know how to get stuff done and have a good time while doing it.
My Story.
My career through the tech world has been nothing short of a rollercoaster, starting from my foundational years at Princeton and Stanford (pun intended!), where I studied civil and environmental engineering, to the dynamic world of tech. My early role as a structural engineer quickly transitioned into a winding journey through the tech scene in NYC with several notable stops along the way.
My first significant foray into the tech scene was at CareerCore, an innovative platform aimed at revolutionizing career coaching online. This experience laid the groundwork for my entrepreneurial ventures, leading to the creation of SportLeap and MobLauncher. SportLeap was a pioneering platform designed to empower high school and college athletes through promotional visibility, while MobLauncher introduced a novel peer-to-peer referral network. These ventures were both exhilarating and educational, steeping me in the realities of startup life and forging a skill set that would be instrumental throughout my career.
This path led me to Vaudeville Ventures, where I found my footing in digital strategy. It was an unexpected turn, a result of a surprise interview that opened the door to a world where I could blend my analytical skills with creative problem-solving. Here, I was exposed to a broad spectrum of clients, from startups to Fortune 500 giants. This diversity of experience was crucial, honing my ability to dissect complex problems and craft compelling digital strategies. It was also where I found my sea legs in product management, a craft I would continue to hone for the next decade.
Ghostery was my next stop and marked a pivotal chapter in my career. From Director to President, I navigated the company through a sea of changes, learning the delicate art of leading B2B and B2C agile product development teams. It was a time of growth, challenge, and innovation, especially during the sale of the company and the subsequent transition. The experience was a masterclass in agility and leadership and an accelerant for my personal growth.
After Ghostery, I joined BODS and entered a world unfamiliar to me - fashion technology. This interim role was as challenging as it was enlightening, teaching me about the intricacies of launching a product from scratch and managing an offshore team.
Next, I was hired at Pavilion to build something from the ground up. As VP of Product, I was tasked with assembling a team to create the company's first digital product. This experience was a testament to the challenges of scaling in a post-COVID world. The journey with Pavilion, though cut short, was a reminder of the resilience needed in the face of adversity.
Now, with Tillhouse Ventures, I'm drawing on all these experiences to guide startups through their development journeys. The road ahead is as uncertain as it is thrilling, but the past has taught me that it's the journey, not the destination, that truly shapes us.
My Product Philosophy.
My product philosophy is anchored in Agile methodologies, evidenced-based user research, and the build-test-learn process. I cut my gums as a workaday product manager writing user stories, managing backlogs, and working with colleagues across design, engineering, and QA to design, build, and launch product. I've since climbed the ladder to recruit, hire, and develop my own product and design teams to execute my product vision. This includes creating overarching product strategies and roadmaps that align the needs of our users, the requirements of engineering, and the business needs of the company.